Town
Badin
A planned Alcoa company village on neighboring Badin Lake, with an unusual French-influenced street plan.
- County
- Stanly
- From the lake
- About 20 minutes north
- Listed places
- 2
- State
- NC
Character
What Badin is like
Badin was built as an aluminum company village, and the layout still shows it — tight streets, uniform cottages, and a distinct historic core. It is a worthwhile drive from Tillery, and it gives lake visitors a second reservoir, Badin Lake, to explore.
- Historic company-town architecture
- Badin Lake access
- Badin Lake Golf Club nearby
- Uwharrie trailheads
Background
Badin history and setting
Badin was founded in the early 1910s by a French aluminum company that planned a smelter and a dam on the Yadkin River; the town is named for Adrien Badin, who led the venture. Alcoa took over the project during World War I and completed the town, the smelter, and Narrows Dam.
The result is one of North Carolina's most distinctive company towns: uniform worker cottages, a planned street grid, and a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Badin Museum explains how aluminum shaped this stretch of river.
On the water
Badin and Lake Tillery
Badin sits on Badin Lake, the reservoir directly upstream of Lake Tillery behind Narrows Dam. The two lakes are connected by the river but not by navigable water, so boats must be trailered between them.
For Lake Tillery visitors, Badin is a half-day excursion: the historic town, Badin Lake Golf Club, and Uwharrie National Forest trailheads and campgrounds on Badin Lake's eastern side.
A day here
A day in Badin
Walk the Badin historic district in the morning, when the rows of company cottages and the planned street grid are easiest to read, and stop at the Badin Museum for the story of the French founders, Alcoa, and Narrows Dam.
After lunch, choose between a round at Badin Lake Golf Club and an afternoon in the Uwharrie National Forest on Badin Lake's eastern side, where trailheads and campgrounds sit along the shoreline. Drive back south to Lake Tillery for an evening on the water.
Living here
Living in or near Badin
Badin is in Stanly County and is served by Stanly County Schools. Badin Lake has its own shoreline character, with more national-forest frontage, and many buyers compare the two lakes before choosing.
If you are weighing Badin Lake against Lake Tillery, our side-by-side comparison covers size, water level behavior, access, and the feel of each shoreline.
Directory
Places to know in Badin
Golf courses & clubs
Badin Lake Golf Club
Rolling course at neighboring Badin Lake, about 20 minutes north of Tillery.
Cabins, camping & cottages
Uwharrie National Forest campgrounds
Badin Lake, Arrowhead, and Uwharrie Hunt Camp areas cover developed and dispersed camping across 50,000+ acres east and north of Tillery.
Questions
Frequently asked
Can you boat from Lake Tillery to Badin Lake?
No. Narrows Dam separates the two lakes, so boats must be trailered between Badin Lake and Lake Tillery.
Why is Badin historic?
Badin was planned as an aluminum company town in the 1910s, first by a French company and then by Alcoa, and its historic district is listed on the National Register.
How far is Badin from Lake Tillery?
About 20 minutes north
What county is Badin in?
Badin is in Stanly County, North Carolina.